With the never-ending rain and kids being home, we have put together 20 rainy day activities for kids that will help you pass the time with the kids, indoors…

20 Rainy Day Activities For Kids:

Get out the crafts – Let the kids use their imaginations and create some Mother’s Day masterpieces.

Make a fort in the living room out of blankets.

Play Restaurant – Let the kids help in the kitchen for a day – bake cookies, make lunch and dinner together, and have them “critique” meals.

Write letters to friends and family or fill out a year’s worth of birthday cards.

Have a fashion show or photoshoot or better yet, make a photo booth and take lots of funny pictures. Making photo props can be fun and allow the creative juices to flow!

Read books, Make a book or flipbook – You can rent books online or via the Library & Amazon!

Put on a puppet show – During Hurricane Katrina, we had our boys put on a play with puppets, or paper dolls. They drew the characters, cut them out, glued them to cardboard and glued a stick on the backside, fixed a stage out of a large shipping box, wrote a script and put on a play. This entertained them for hours!

Make paper airplanes and have a flying contest.

Cleaning party – Crank up the radio and have a dance party while cleaning the house.

Zoom Playdate – Catch up with friends and family you haven’t seen in a while.

Donate – Go through your home with the kids and find items {clothes, toys, appliances} to donate.

Camp out– Create an indoor camp with tents and use the microwave to make s’mores.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly turned life as we know it upside down, I was just starting my “busy season” for spring portraits. In the first two weeks of March, I photographed over 600 elementary school students, preschoolers, toddlers, and babies. My calendar was jammed packed with senior sessions, more school photographs, special events, a birthday celebration in New Orleans, a mini-vacation to Austin, and my children’s field trips. I can remember looking at my calendar thinking “WOW! How did this many things find their way on my calendar?”

Then, just like that, everything came to a screeching halt.

All my plans for a busy, full, productive spring were canceled and I found myself safe at home every day, all day, with my two kids and my husband.

We make the most of our time together. We’ve enjoyed having picnic lunches outside, going on walks around the subdivision, taking coffee breaks, and my youngest has even learned to ride his bike without training wheels! It wasn’t what I planned, but we enjoy the sudden slow pace and have tried focusing on the good parts of our lives and not the bad.

Don’t get me wrong I have my freak out moments. I’ve battled anxiety and feared my business will never recover. I worry that I am ruining my children because I am suddenly now a homeschool mom, and I am not very good at it.

Despite all the fear, this is a special time, and I decided that every day I was going to take out the camera…. the good camera not the one on my phone…and no matter what is going on, I will snap three pictures each day of my family.

My little three pictures a day personal project is an unexpected joy for me. I’ve tried new things with my camera and rediscovered my love for using natural light. I’ve enjoyed the creative process and knowing my children will have photographs to look back and reminisce on the good that happened in the midst of a global pandemic.

I share the three photographs on my personal Facebook page daily. One day my friend Kelly commented, “Can you come shoot my kids’ pictures…. from the safe distance of 6,12 or 20 feet away!”

I started off photographing my own kids but Kelly’s comments got me thinking…another friend had sent me a viral post from Tausha Ann Photography in Tennessee. This photographer had simply walked through her neighborhood and gotten some pretty amazing photographs of her neighbors just sitting on their front porches.

Going to sleep that night it hit me…why can’t I do what that photographer did?

I have these photographs that I LOVE of my kids! I can give Kelly a way to remember this time too. I can just drive by, hop out the car and take a few shots of her kiddos. While I am at it, I don’t need to do this just for Kelly, I can see if any other families want some photographs too!

Drive By Shooting

And well, me being me I decided right then and there that I WAS going to do it and that the perfect name for it would be “Drive-By Shooting.”

My husband made a cute little “Drive-by Shooting” graphic for me and I couldn’t wait to post it to Instagram and Facebook and invite the community to sign up. Before I posted the invitation on social media a long time client of mine texted me and told me about the Front Porch Project in Baton Rouge. The project is doing free front porch sessions and in exchange, requests participants to purchase a gift card from a local small business.

Front Porch Project

The idea of asking the participants to support a small business just fueled an even greater desire within me to get my own project started.

My “Drive By Shooting” project was definitely a team effort of these different friends and clients sharing their ideas and desires with me. I wish I could say it was a creative genius call on my part, but as most things in my life, it wasn’t. It was a team effort and I was finally ready to invite the community to participate.

I posted the invitation to sign up on social media expecting a handful of faithful clients to sign up. I was completely OVERWHELMED with the response!! There were so many signing up that I had to stop booking dates within a few hours of posting my invitation.

Complete strangers signed up! If you have never pulled up to someone’s house who you have never met and they are pointing nerf guns at you and holding a sign saying “stay 6 feet away or we will shoot,” I would strongly recommend it! It has been so much FUN!!! I am pretty sure I have spent most of my time laughing.

Once, I pulled up to someone’s home and started laughing so hard I didn’t think I could stand up much less properly operate my camera.

Everyone who I’ve photographed has been excited and also very thankful. I’ve lost count of how many have told me “thank you for giving us something fun to do today.” Some families have gone to outrageous lengths to capture a funny moment, and some have put on their Sunday best and posed for a great, classic family portrait.

This project is supporting local businesses, but the heart of it is giving families in our area memories to look back on. I feel very blessed to have met so many people and have given them a reason to smile. I’ve even had people tell me how much they enjoy just scrolling through the photographs online and are looking forward to seeing more.

The arts have a way of soothing us in times of trouble. This is a very scary time we are living in, but bringing a little light when things seem so dark has been deeply rewarding for me.

Katie has been involved in the photography industry for almost 20 years, beginning as a teenager working as an assistant at a local studio. She holds a B.A. in business management from Southeastern. She started My Sister and I Photography, LLC. nine years ago and has grown her studio to specialize in family, highschool senior and school/daycare photography. She is bubbly, energetic and LOVES to laugh. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they have two children and reside in Walker. Her husband is an assistant pastor at a church in Central and is also a talented graphic designer. Together they have a weekly podcast called “Just Be Creative” that explores what life and work looks like in the creative field. Katie loves traveling, checking out live music, spending quality time with her family and friends, thinking she can dance, and ordering food in restaurants. Find me online via Facebook and Instagram!

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants throughout the Baton Rouge area are offering increased delivery and takeout options, with many serving up family meal bundles! This offers us some more options to feed the whole crew while not having to cook Every.Single.Night!!

Below you will find a comprehensive list of some of the Baton Rouge Area Family Meal Bundles being offered:

While every effort has been made to ensure this information is accurate, we encourage you to contact the merchant directly to verify that offers still exist. If you have information on a Family special that we missed, please email us. Thank you!

Every Wednesday the new Family Meals are only $20! You can order online or through the app and receive FREE delivery on orders of $15 or more. Pronto Pickup and Curbside Service options are also available. http://bit.ly/CowboyChicken_OnlineOrder

Build Your Own Playa! Now available in store or online, you can order a “Family Kit” with 5 different bases, a bag of granola, 2 fruit choices, & 3 drizzles so you can build your favorite Playa Bowl in the comfort of your own home! Not feeling like building your own but still want to feed the squad? Check out the family packs! Open every day: 10 AM to 8 PM

Dinner or Lunch for everyone! Family Packs available now for take-out. Call ahead, order online, or stop by and pick it up. View current hours of operation for your Piccadilly here: https://www.piccadilly.com/locationlist/

With the purchase of a Family Dinner, you can also get 20% off your favorite Fresh Takes tubs – including ZK Hummus dips + Chicken Salad. Deliciousness for the entire family. And by using code 5OFF25 at checkout, you’ll get a little bit more for less. https://bit.ly/39UV7jR

The big annual egg hunts may be canceled, but we can come together as a community while practicing social distancing and give the kids the greatest egg hunt! Similar to the “chalk walk” and “bear hunt, we will have an egg hunt that is virtual and live…along with some fun prizes! Join Baton Rouge Family Fun for the Great Baton Rouge Easter Egg Hunt!

The Baton Rouge Egg Hunt starts on April 1, so get those eggs up in your windows and keep them up through Easter, on April 12. Then take a walk around your neighborhood and see how many you can find! Be sure to tell all your neighbors to participate!

Baton Rouge Easter Egg Hunt – Win a Golden Egg Prize!

Be sure to post a picture of your Easter Eggs in your windows to our Facebook Group and or use the hashtag #BatonRougeEggHunt and tag @BatonRougeFamilyFun on Instagram. We will be selecting random Golden Egg Winners every day between April 6th – 12th. All you have to do is show your colored eggs or show us your hunting fun! Prizes will include a $50 gift card to a small business of your choice, a $30 Gift Card from Sweet Baton Rouge, Louisiana Easter books and Baton Rouge Family Fun swag!

Here is how it will work!
1. Download, print and decorate your Easter Egg Coloring Sheets – we have enough for the whole family!
2. Hang your egg in the window.
3. Take a picture and share it in our Facebook Group or hashtag #BatonRougeEggHunt and tag @BatonRougeFamilyFun on Instagram to show your eggs too!

Social distancing hasn’t stopped the community from coming together to beautify the outdoors — at least at a distance from each other. Last week we kicked off the Louisiana Boot Trail and we loved seeing your beautiful Louisiana Boots on display in neighborhoods around the Baton Rouge area! We also had many of you tag us in your Chalk Walk photos and we fell in love with the idea to #ChalkYourWalk! The perfect way to spread more joy and kindness! Many of us are looking for something to do that’s safe and gets us out of the house during this time of pandemic restrictions. Chalk Your Walk Baton Rouge is pretty simple. Go outside with some chalk and write an uplifting message or drawing on your driveway, fence or sidewalks. We’ve partnered with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to encourage families to get out and #ChalkYourWalkBR!

Haylie Smith, a Baton Rouge mom of three sent us this great idea for a fabulous chalk project using tape to share with you all! and her family was not the only ones with this fabulous idea! She

I’m a mom of 3 trying to find things to do around the house just like everyone else during this self-quarantine. I asked my husband to put tape around the fence so the kids could color it in since he’s the creative one. He took it to another level by adding our last name since this is week has brought us closer together. All you need it tape and side walk chalk for this time consuming art project. Loclon, Ally & Annie Jane are proud of their work. – Haylie Nola Smith

Haylie’s family was one of many that enjoyed some family time making joy-filled masterpieces with chalk and tape this weekend! Carly Peterson’s family had the same idea and decorated their driveway along with encouraging notes on the sidewalk. If this doesnt put a smile on your face, we don’t know what will!

Chalk Your Walk Baton Rouge

We invite you and your family to draw inspiring art and/or write encouraging messages on a nearby sidewalk or your driveway. Or, put a surprise message or drawing on the sidewalk of a neighbor or friend . Then take a walk, go for a bike ride, or even take a drive to check out the art around your neighborhood.

Take a pic of the art and post it in our event on Facebook, or send it to us. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChalkYourWalkBR and tag us @batonrougefamilyfun on Instagram! We will give Baton Rouge Family Fun shirts and Tote Bags to a few lucky winners each week.

As most of us are sheltering in place and practicing social distancing, our walks outside for some fresh air and exercise will be more precious than ever! Let’s add something lovely to to our daily walk or bike ride – something we can do without touching! Something to remind us that even through this time of uncertainty there is hope and we are Louisiana Strong!

Let’s launch a Louisiana Boot Trail! Spread the happy, not the virus!

Color a Louisiana Boot — out of any material — or just print one out, and put it in your window!

We have a set of three printables below for you to print and decorate! Get together with the family and decorate your Louisiana Boot with signs of hope and cheer!

When we enjoy our neighborhood walks outside we can look for each other’s Louisiana Boots – be sure to share with your neighborhood association!

If you see one or create your own, snap a pic and share it back on our Facebook post here!

If you share it on Instagram, tag @BatonRougeFamilyFun so we can see them!

As you already know, events are being canceled, businesses are temporarily closing and kids are out of school for the next month. We know that school closings will cause lot of disruption and worry for some families. Baton Rouge Moms (soon to be Baton Rouge Family Fun) hopes to make the transition a little easier and a little more fun! Beginning this week, we will be partnering with local businesses and organizations to help you over the upcoming weeks – in the form of Baton Rouge Virtual Playdates!!

Many thanks to our community partners for making this project possible.

Do you have a business or organization that would like to get involved? Email Tiany at Tiany@batonrougemoms.com to let us know you are interested.

Baton Rouge Moms Virtual Playdates

We’re lining up some of your favorite small businesses, organizations and groups to lead us through daily 15-30 minute activities via video.

The Virtual Playdate videos will be available each day on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We hope that this will be a great way to keep our families engaged in the community even while practicing social distancing.

Look Forward to:

Follow-Along Dance Lessons

Special Character Appearances

Study Tips for doing Schoolwork at Home

Fun Science Experiments (Video demos you can follow along to)

Outdoor Activities

Fun Treats Kids Can Make at Home

Easy Art & Craft Ideas (How to videos with these too)

Family Challenges

Ideas for Helping Families in need
and more!

How to Follow Along

>> Virtual Playdate videos will be posted to our Facebook and Instagram pages starting this week!

So your kids are home from school for the next month. What are you going to do? How will you keep them entertained? Will they fall behind in school? Take it from this homeschool mama of two, all of these things can be avoided with a little prep and a good measure of organization. I’m not talking crazy and elaborate projects that tie you to a table helping for hours. I’m talking about some good planning leading to you not losing yourself in kid chaos.

Kids are home from school for a month, now what?

Stick to a schedule

You will never convince me otherwise. Kids like expectations to their day. My kids know breakfast, school work, art, etc. and when each thing is coming. When you set the expectation for your kiddos it will help keep them from coming back over and over with “I’m bored” and “There’s nothing to do”. It also allows for you to plan when you need to get your own things accomplished.

Get outside!

This past week we flew a kite. It was simple, cheap, and fun. Get some bubbles or chalk. Play hopscotch. Throw the ball. Go for a walk or jog. For us, it is one of the best times of the year for getting to spend time outside. Going outside lets the kids get out pent up energy and the fresh air is great for you. The heat isn’t stifling yet, and we’ve even had a breeze as of late.

Online time

Our kids get online time that isn’t, as we call it, “brain dead”. There are so many free educational sites and games that are available for kids to get their screen time and still have to think. For example, for science we use mysteryscience.com. There are several free lessons available. A video plays and they usually have an easy project or follow up that they give directions on how to complete. If you want a subscription, there are even more options. We personally use ABC Mouse for my younger and Adventure Academy for my older. The kids have to complete educational tasks to get to do other fun things on their “journey”.

Pinterest!

I know I said no spending hours glued in project assistance mode, but Pinterest really has some easy projects that kids love. They also have great science projects, game ideas, cooking projects, and so much more. We may do one Pinterest idea a week. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they are a most definite #pinterestfail, but we always have fun and make memories while we do it. That’s what it’s really all about y’all!

Free Time

I know that we are trying to fill this, but kids really do need some free time. Our free time consists of me being able to get things done without interruption. The kids should not have to ask “Can I?” They have the option of playing with toys, playing board games, pretend play, etc. All things that are at their disposal and they are able to do themselves. They great thing about this is that you get to set the parameters. They could have access to one specific toy bin or shelf. They could get to spend time in a playroom or however you are set up. It’s about what works for you.

School work

There are so many FREE resources for worksheets, coloring sheets, etc. The local library is a wealth of books and dvds. Where we live, they also have educational tablets. I have made youtube lists of educational videos that we watch. Disney + has Nat Geo with so many interesting shows. One of the great things about the digital age is that if you want your kids to learn, you have only need to hop online. You can also find many Facebook groups of homeschoolers to join that have pre-built lists of all kinds of resources for parents. They don’t care if your kids are only home for a month or if they homeschool full time. They welcome you to the information.

Quiet time

This one is important Mommas because we cannot spend all day running kids from project to project to be a non-stop source of entertainment. We have things to do too! We have a quiet time every single day. When my kids were smaller, they napped. They now have additional options. They can read, they can draw or color, they can listen to music. Anything that allows for some quiet to enter your home and you to get that break that you may really need to re-center and gain focus, where there may be chaos.

Finally, use the TV

We don’t sit in front of the TV for hours on end, but there is certainly nothing wrong with sitting the kids at the TV for a movie or a couple of shows. Go ahead and sit down with them! I find that when my kids are not sitting in front of the TV constantly, they grow to be much more appreciative of the time they are given. They are selective on the shows or movies they choose to watch. They pay attention to what is on. It is a treat instead of a constant background noise.

As a homeschooling mom, you come to realize that there has to be balance. A balance of entertainment, of getting things accomplished, of managing your house and the kids. We constantly have things that need to be done and sometimes the biggest thing you can do for yourself is just realize that the day doesn’t always go as planned. Don’t be afraid to phone a friend. It doesn’t matter if it is for ideas for rainy days or just to have some good conversation with another adult.

Don’t be afraid to just kick up your feet with the kids for a movie. If a project fails, laugh and take pictures. We have some pretty great fail memories. Let go of expectations, whether they are from others or yourself, and find what works for you!

At bedtime, I always ask my kids what their favorite part of the day was. Sometimes they do say it is something big that we did as a treat. Most of the time, my kids list simple things that you wouldn’t think about: Popsicles outside, flying a kite, messing up our baking project, or playing a board game. Through the eyes of a kid, the simple things sometimes mean the most. That is what it’s all about!

Baton Rouge Moms Ambassador -Erica Mautner

Erica is an LSU alum, with a Master’s in Business Administration. She recently left her career in banking to be at home with her 2 boys, Fisher & Sawyer, full time. They have started an adventure in homeschooling. Erica likes to travel, take photos, and attempt crafting projects with her boys. She also likes to attend LSU football games with her boys and husband of 11 years, Cody, who proposed while tailgating fall of 2008.

We know the Governor’s announcement that all public schools will be closing through April 13th has left us all with lots of questions. Unexpectedly staying home can have some complications beyond having enough food and supplies. Many are wondering what they are going to do with the kids for the next month. There is a plethora of resources for our families to learn and enjoy the extra time we will have together. How about Family Night at the Museum??? According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.

Now, families can “go to the museum” and never have to leave the couch.

Google Arts & Culture’s collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.

Family Night at the Museum – 12 Famous Museums With Virtual Tours

British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Google’s Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

One of Korea’s popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google’s virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de’Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de’Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.

MASP, São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil’s first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.

Sadly, not all popular art museums and galleries could be included on Google Arts & Culture’s collection, but some museums are taking it upon themselves to offer online visits. According to Fast Company, the Louvre also offers virtual tours on its website.

There’s a new etiquette teacher in town and our kids may need her more than we would like to admit! Manners, politeness and being confident in social situations are characteristics of proper etiquette — imperative lifelong skills that will transform the lives of our children. While we do our best to teach our children these basic skills at home, with full days and the busyness of life some important lessons can fall through the cracks… that’s where Red Stick Refinement can make all the difference!

Red Stick Refinement’s Baton Rouge Etiquette Classes focus on teaching both traditional etiquette and also modern etiquette. Founder, April Palombo Setliff, teaches the Importance of Eye Contact, Handshakes, and Proper Introductions. These are skills students will use their whole life, instilling confidence in children and teens so that they feel confident in any social situation. During class students also learn to set a formal table and learn how to eat both American and Continental (European) Style. They also write thank you notes and for the teenagers discuss Social Media Etiquette. Our children are considered digital natives, and with our digital world managing your social media presence is important.

April has taught hundreds of kids from over 20 different schools in the Baton Rouge Area. In addition to teaching classes out of her home, she also travels to campuses to teach. Below are a few options for classes at Red Stick Refinement:

PART I – SOCIAL SKILLS We discuss Eye Contact, Handshakes and Proper Introductions. We also talk about respecting others and writing Thank You Notes. Social Media Etiquette is addressed for classes of teenagers.

PART II – DINING ETIQUETTE
Students learn all there is to know about table manners for both ladies and gentlemen. They learn to set a formal table and also how to eat both American Style and Continental (European) Style.

1.) Put the device down and make Eye contact. Eye contact, Handshakes, and Proper Introductions are the first things in teach in my class. Having a firm handshake and making Eye Contact not only shows the other person respect, but it also shows self-confidence. I want students to walk away with self-confidence to succeed in any social situation.

2.) For teens, I discuss Social Media Etiquette. They have heard the bad that can happen by posts, so I try to encourage the good. I teach there is a way to position yourself in the best light online.

3.) Send thank-you notes! Thank you notes are becoming a lost art but they are still so very important in my opinion. Send thank-you notes in a prompt manner. State the gift or service you are thankful for then state WHY.

4.) Table Manners: Learning table manners are important because it’s a skill set they will use their whole life. Have your kids take turns setting the dinner table. Make it a fun activity instead of a chore.

5.) Be Kind & Mind Your Manners: I feel a person with good manners can carry a conversation and make the people around them feel comfortable, respected and welcome. When making a proper introduction say the name of the older person first out of respect. Or the person of higher authority. For example, if a teen is introducing a new friend to their parent the parent’s name should be said first. “Dad, I’d like to introduce to you my new friend, Matt. Matt, this is my Dad.” A good conversationalist takes it a step further by making a connection between the two people. This encourages the conversation to continue. “Dad, Matt plays soccer at his school. Matt, my Dad coaches my soccer team. We have a game coming up this weekend. When is your next game?” Make a connection then you could ask an opened ended question.

The above is just a glimpse of some of the lessons kids and teens will learn with April at Red Stick Refinement. And Etiquette lessons are not just for children and teens, April also teaches business and personal etiquette for adults!

Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated BRM via a cash payment, gift, or giveaway. Opinions expressed herein are that of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the sponsor.